2008 October »

Four Challenges in One!

Challenges, Grunge Paper/Board, Stampers Anonymous, Studio 490, Techniques, Wrinkle-Free Distress 9 Responses »

Oct 242008

Happy Friday! It’s rainy here today with a nip in the air – a perfect day to spend indoors stamping. I haven’t done a Splitcoaststampers Challenge in what seems like weeks. Actually it probably has been weeks with my traveling and all. I’ve checked in on them every day this week, but the mojo has failed me.

All week long, the challenges have been in honor and celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They have gone PINK! Since this is a cause near and dear to me, I couldn’t let another day go by without participating.

I think this is the first time that I have combined more than two challenges into one card. Today, I’ve combined four: the Color Challenge to use Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss and Chocolate Chip; the Sketch Challenge; the Ways to Use it Challenge to use just one word; and today’s Limited Supply Challenge to use leaves.

A few months ago I went to Cincinnati Stampaway with some friends, and bought a few of the new Studio 490 sets. I met the designer, Wendy Vecchi, at Winter CHA and was in total awe of her designs. I was so excited at Summer CHA to see that she had released sets incorporating her unique style with chipboard and grunge board. Today I finally broke them in and put a little ink on them!

Let’s start with the Grunge Board leaves and flowers first. I stamped the images on the Grunge Board, cut them out, and then inked the leaves with Kiwi Kiss and the flowers with Worn Lipstick. An idea-ology Hitch Fastener holds the petals of the flower together. The background papers started as white. To give them color, I swiped both Pink Pirouette and Worn Lipstick on my Ranger Craft Sheet, misted the ink with water and laid my paper in the ink to pick up the color. Using a craft iron, I ironed over the paper to dry it. This process was continued to keep adding layers of color to the white paper. The sentiment, dream, was part of a phrase that I masked, inking only the one word to stamp on the third panel.

Stamps: Studio 490 Dreams of Art, Flower Art and Ticket to Art from Stampers Anonymous
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Chocolate Chip
Ink: Ranger Archival Coffee, Worn Lipstick and Vintage Photo Distress; SU Pink Pirouette and Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Tim Holt idea-ology Plain Grunge Board and Hitch Fastener; Ranger Mini Mister, Gold Perfect Pearls and Inkssential Ink Blending Tool; Tonic Tim Holtz Distressing Tool; Clover Craft Iron; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Venture Foam Tape; Ribbon

Have a little fun today and stamp trying something new!

Penguin Antics!

Christmas, Copic Markers, Holidays, Techniques, Whipper Snapper Designs 7 Responses »

Oct 242008

Good morning! I’m still working on organizing, and promise that I’ll have pics for you when I’m done. Even though it might be put away, things are still a bit untidy. It’s amazing how rejuvenated I already feel. You’ll see in a few days.

I did take a few minutes yesterday afternoon to finish up a card that I had already started. I had to drop a few things last week to get ready for the Texas show, and this was one of them.

I just love these penguins . . . they are way too much fun! I can’t decide if this one just fell, or had a little help.

The image was colored with Copic Markers and then the snow was made with Tulip Puffy Paint with Polysparkle EP sprinkled over it while wet. For the background, I embossed snowflakes in the same Polysparkle EP (which is hard to see in the picture).
I know black and white is not the typical holiday colors, but they just seemed to work here.

Stamps: Penguin Antics by Anna Wight from Whipper Snapper Designs
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Basic Black and Cool Caribbean
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black and Distress Embossing; SU Cool Caribbean
Accessories: Copic Markers; Tulip White Puffy Paint; Ranger Polysparkle EP; Venture Mounting Tape; Corner Rounder and Large Oval Punches; Ribbon; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber

Hope you have a great day today!

Organizing Instead of Stamping!

Christmas, Copic Markers, High Hopes, Holidays, Sewing/Stitching, Techniques 8 Responses »

Oct 232008

Good Thursday morning! For the past few weeks, I have been thinking about moving my studio around. The thing was I couldn’t think of a way to change it that was better than what I started with. While traveling last week, I had a brainstorm (oh you KNOW it hurt)! I finally took some time yesterday to read the Sunday ads and saw that Target had the ClosetMaid 9-cube organizers on sale. Perfect! I ran over to Target around 4:00 and bought two. I had this idea and thought it might work. After dinner I started putting the cubes together. Now when I bought one of these for Mallory’s room at school, it took my mother and I close to three hours to put the silly thing together. Last night, I put both of them together in just about an hour and a half! Not that I remembered how from Mallory’s, but it just made clear sense. Imagine that!

Needless to say, I gave up moving things around about 10:00 last night. So this morning the studio is still in chaos but I do have a clear idea of how I’m going to finish up today. I’ve had the studio set up so that I could entertain Stamp Club every other month. To me, there is something wrong with that picture – the studio needs to be set up for me! They are only here once every two months, I work in there every day – changes needed to be made to make it more convenient for me. I’ll figure out where to put them later.

Anyhoo, while I continue to work on the studio today, I do have a card to show you. I made it a few weeks ago thinking I would post it while on the road. After struggling with internet connections and just being simply exhausted, that just didn’t happen either. So here it is today.

The image was colored with Copic Markers, the edges were sponged for a rustic look, and all the background layers were sewn to the background panel. To add some dimension I used Tulip Puffy Paint on Santa’s beard and Stickles for his hat.

Stamps: Woodland Santa and Fairy Merry Christmas from High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Always Artichoke; BasicGrey Figgy
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black, Archival Jet Black and Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Copic Markers; Tulip White Puffy Paint; Ranger Liquid Pearls; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Sewing Machine; Venture Mounting Tape; Ribbon

I’m heading down to the studio – have a good one today!

Twistin' and Turnin' in Texas!

Rubbernecker 11 Responses »

Oct 212008

Good morning. What a trip I’ve had! I’m on my way home this morning – back to my corner of the sofa and my pot of coffee. I’m just a tad bit tired and my feet hurt, but I’ve had so much fun!

Before I get into highlights of my trip, it’s Treasure Hunt Tuesday at Rubbernecker! You can find all the deets on the Rubbernecker Stamps Blog. You’ll also see that we’ve added two new Guest Designers to the team – Joan Ervin and Pam Hooten. Not only that, but Bev and Jules are going to stay with us as permanent designers – .

I don’t have a card for you today – we didn’t get into Bev’s until very early morning yesterday and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that we were just wiped out. It was a lazy day with naps in the afternoon.

The past few days were just a whirlwind of working hard, sightseeing, seeing some old friends and making some new ones.

We had dinner with Jenn at Chili’s our first night. (me, Jenn, Sharon Coleman, Joan and Bev)

Then after dinner we just had to see the Alamo at night. Last year we forgot the Alamo – we remembered this year!

On Saturday I was busy working with alcohol inks when I looked up and recognized a face in front of me – I’d seen it many times on her blog – Libby Hickson! This picture I swiped from her blog.

By Sunday we were wiped out and just a little punchy! Here we are, Joa, Bev, me and Sharon acting silly while tearing down the booth.

I suppose that’s all I have for you today — I am just a little brain dead. I did learn some new tricks with the alcohol inks over the weekend and will be showing you those in a few days. Have a good one!

Texas Bound!

Challenges, Christmas, Copic Markers, Holidays, Rubbernecker, Sewing/Stitching, Spellbinders, Techniques 13 Responses »

Oct 152008

I’m off today (okay, not just today – )! I am so looking forward to my trip and getting to visit with my buds! Can you tell I’m just a bit excited – yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaw (gettin’ the Texas mojo going a little early).

Before I leave today, here’s the card I started working on Monday night and didn’t quite get finished! It’s for the Rubbernecker Blogger Challenge today, which is a color challenge (blue, green and brown). I must admit that when I sat down to make this card, I had something else in mind. With these colors, I was seeing a snowman, some trees and a snow filled sky. Well . . . . as it happens sometimes, I did a complete 180 and when to something else. Something else that strikes me is that I didn’t sponge or distress — I must have a fever!

You can’t see it very well (if at all) in the photo, but the wings are highlighted with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen. The halo and stars and colored with a Gold Spica Glitter pen and there are added red berries.

Stamps: KK Originals Christmas Collection: Abigail SKU:20-07 KK from Rubbernecker Stamp Company
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; BasicGrey Figgy; SU Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black
Accessories: Copic and Spica Markers; Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Square Nestabilities; Sewing Machine; Sakura Stardust Jelly Roll Pen; Venture Foam Tape; Ribbon